During the Napoleonic wars there were tens of thousands of French prisoners of war (POWs) in Britain. Whether out on parole or held in prisons or on prison hulks, theatre was a common feature of their experiences. This article compares and contrasts the on-board theatricals that POWs performed on the hulks, in the purpose-built theatre at Portchester Castle and those put on by officers held on parole in towns across the country. In so doing, it explores the extent to which theatre was perceived by the prisoners as a particularly French response to difficult circumstances and as a conduit for reinforcing their national identity as well as creating a temporary sense of community with ‘the enemy’, that is to say British guards and civilians watching performances.

在拿破仑战争期间，英国有成千上万的法国战俘（POW）。无论是假释还是被关押在监狱中，还是被囚禁在监狱里，剧院都是他们经历的共同特征。本文比较并对比了战俘在大型码头上进行的机载戏剧，在Portchester城堡的专用剧院中以及在全国各地的城镇假释人员所表演的剧场。通过这样做，它探讨了战俘在多大程度上被囚徒视为法国人对困难环境的特别反应，并成为加强他们的民族身份以及与“敌人”建立临时社区感的渠道，即说英国卫兵和平民观看表演。